Ottawa is signalling tougher action may be coming for food manufacturers that fail to reduce sodium levels, as Health Canada prepares to review industry compliance with a voluntary salt-reduction plan aimed at cutting health care costs.In a report to the Senate, the Department of Health said it will begin new monitoring this year to assess whether food companies are meeting targets to lower sodium in processed foods. The department warned the results “will inform future actions” if progress remains uneven.“High sodium intake increases the risk of certain chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke,” the department wrote, noting most sodium consumed in Canada comes from processed and commercially prepared foods rather than home cooking.The report, tabled in response to questions from Sen. Percy Downe, examined the impact of voluntary measures first introduced in 2007. At the time, average sodium consumption in Canada was about 3,400 milligrams per day. By 2020, intake had fallen to roughly 2,760 milligrams, still well above the recommended maximum of 2,300 milligrams per day..Men aged 31 to 50 continued to consume particularly high levels, averaging about 3,020 milligrams daily, according to federal data.Health Canada inspections in 2024 found mixed results across the food industry. Some bakeries and cheese makers had reduced salt levels, while other sectors showed little or no improvement. Ready-to-serve soups made no progress, and some products such as ready-to-eat cereals and tomato sauces moved further away from sodium targets.“These results indicate that industry needs to make additional efforts to meet the targets,” the department concluded.A federal Sodium Working Group previously estimated that reducing salt intake could prevent more than 20,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease each year, saving the health care system about $1.3 billion annually. Officials estimate one in four Canadian adults suffers from high blood pressure.As of January 1, Ottawa has also rolled out new front-of-package labelling rules requiring manufacturers to flag products that exceed 15% of recommended daily limits for sodium, sugar or fat. Regulators estimate the labelling rules will cost industry more than $554.8 million annually.
